"More than a place, the Shady Dell was and will forever remain a state of mind." - Shady Del Knight

Monday, April 24, 2017

Tom Anderson back with you today on this very happy occasion. They're here!
Hours ago, I received the pictures taken last week as our dear friend, Margaret Elizabeth Brown Schneider, affectionately known asThe Oldest Living Dell Rat, celebrated her 105th birthday. Here to bring you the story is Margaret's daughter, my good friend and guest blogger, Kathleen Mae Schneider.

Hello and welcome back in for another magnificent ride on the Shady Express. Don't need money, don't take fame, don't need no credit card to ride this train, so climb aboard!

Gene McFadden and John Whitehead are responsiblefor writing and producing some of the biggest hits ofthe 70s. Their signature song "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now"topped the R&B chart and was one of the hottest discosounds during the the summer of 1979. With backingvocals provided by the girl trio The Sweeties whichconsisted of Barbara Ingram, Carla Benson andEvette Benton, let's give a great Shady Trainwelcome to -- McFadden & Whitehead!

"Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now"

McFadden & Whitehead

(July 1979, highest chart pos.

#13 Hot 100/#1 R&B)

And we are extremely delighted to have aboard the big train a funky band from Jersey runnin' down a ditty that's doggone pretty. The song is "Hollywood Swinging" from their album Wild and Peaceful on De-Lite Records, and it is their first #1 hit on the R&B Singles chart. Let's make some big noise for-- Kool...and the Gang!

"Hollywood Swinging"

Kool and the Gang

(June 1974, highest chart pos.

#6 Hot 100/#1 R&B, from

1973 album Wild and Peaceful)

In 1976 one of Philly's Phinest, Vickie Sue Robinson, scored a top 10 hit with the disco favorite "Turn the Beat Around." In 1994 Havana born and Miami raised songstress Gloria Estefan, co-founder of the red hot Latin band Miami Sound Machine, released a remarkable remake - a cookin' cover that rivals the original and has become a classic in its own right. Hands together, gang, for-- Gloria Estefan!

"Turn the Beat Around"

(Pablo Flores 12'' Video Remix)

Gloria Estefan (October 1994,

highest chart pos. #13 Hot 100,

#1 Hot Dance Club Play,

from OST of Oct. 1994 film

The Specialist, from album

Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me)

START PLAYING VIDEO
AT 1:05 MARK!

In the late 70s this five time Grammy winner was crowned Queen of Disco. She holds the distinction of being the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200. In the 1980s she had her "finger on the trigger" and on the pulse of dance-pop and Funk aficionados the world over with this bad boy - a top 10 Pop/top 3 Dance single for which she received a Grammy nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Let's do it real good, gang, for The First Lady of Love, Miss Donna Summer, and -- "Love Is In Control!"

"Love Is In Control (Finger On the Trigger)"

Donna Summer (June 1982, highest chart

pos. #10 Hot 100/#3 Hot Dance Club

from July '82 album Donna Summer)

START PLAYING VIDEO

AT 42 SEC. MARK!

For the last eight years this funky Brooklyn band has been making its mark as one of the most exciting acts in the business. They are here to do their chart topping single on the Salsoul label entitled "Call Me." A big welcome please, for-- Skyy!

"Call Me" - Skyy

(Jan./Feb. 1982, highest chart

pos. #26 Hot 100/#1 R&B, from

1981 album Skyy Line)

START PLAYING VIDEO

AT 13 SEC. MARK!

And the Shady Train gang is tuppin' up their stuff and killin' it on the line to the latest by Earth, Wind & Fire. It's a sound we think is one of the baddest in town or anywhere else around... and it's called-- "Thinking of You!"

Combining def dance beats with electro funk musicianship and featuring sound FX produced by a talkbox, our next guests, an Ohio group consisting of the four brothers Troutman, are funkier than a mosquito's tweeter. They are here to do the first single from their self-titled debut Warner Brothers album. The song is entitled "More Bounce To the Ounce" and they call themselves-- ZAPP!

"More Bounce To The Ounce" - Zapp

(Oct. 1980, highest chart pos.

#86 Hot 100/#2 R&B, from

July 1980 album Zapp)

START PLAYING VIDEO
AT 48 SEC. MARK!

That does it for this edition of Shady Train. Well do it all over again next time, and you can bet your last money... it's gonna be a stone gas, honey. I'm Don Cornelius, and as always
in parting, we wish you love...peace...and soul!

when I first got interested in this type of
music, much of it produced years before
I was born, and I had a decent collection
of vinyl albums covering the genre. I am
excited to share with you in this series
some of my favorite recordings from
"the dawn of doo-wop."

In an article I read recently I was surprised

to learn how often the name of Billboard's
black music chart has changed over the
years to reflect changes in the industry
and record buying and listening habits.

Take a moment to click here for that
Wiki page, then scroll down to the
History chapter and view the chart.

The scope of this series is limited to

records that appeared on the three

earliest black charts:

THE HARLEM HIT PARADE

(October 1942 – February 1945)

MOST-PLAYED JUKEBOXRACE RECORDS

(February 1945 – June 1949)

MOST-PLAYED JUKEBOXRHYTHM & BLUES RECORDS

(June 1949 – October 1958)

In this modern age we are used to listening
to state-of-the-art digital sound. A hot trend

lately is the house/club remix which adds
a heavy bass beat and other enhancements
to old recordings to "bring them up to date."
In this series I will do the opposite. I want
you to hear the authentic sound of the period,
the span of years from the early 40s to late
50s. Whenever possible, I will post videos

from uploaders who have taken the music
directly from the original vinyl 45s or 78s.
Vinyl records have a warmer, richer, more
organic sound than that which can be found
on compact discs and other digital sources.
Vinyl "breathes." You can hear the difference
and most collectors and vintage music lovers
demand it. As you listen to the recordings in
this series, some made 70+ years ago, you
will at times be aware of distortion and other
flaws. Try to disregard them. When I present

rap or heavy metal I urge you to listen with
"a different set of ears." That is what I am
asking you to do in this series. Let this
old music reach you. Listen to it
with your heart and soul.

Every post in this series will contain 6 songs

starting with an earlier recording from the 40s

and moving forward in time through the other

five recordings. Above every posted artist you

will see the name of the Billboard black chart

in use at the time of the record's release.

Unless otherwise indicated, the chart positions

listed are taken from Billboard's black record

charts, not the Pop chart. The vast majority

of the recordings in this series appeared

only on the black chart.

THE HARLEM HIT PARADE

(October 1942 – February 1945)

LOUIS JORDAN AND

HIS TYMPANY FIVE

Louis Jordan was by far the #1 R&B artist of

the 1940s, the later years of the Swing era.

Jordan, a singer, songwriter, sax player and

bandleader, was very popular with both black

and white audiences. Nicknamed "King of the

Jukebox" Jordan, along with his R&B jazz band

Tympany Five, logged a record 113 weeks at
the #1 spot on Billboard's R&B charts which
were established in 1942 in part to reflect and
document the enormous polularity of Jordan
and his innovative, often humorous style.
Let's kick off the series with Jordan's first
charting single, "I'm Gonna Leave You
On the Outskirts of Town," a hit from
the WWII years... the fall of 1942.

"I'm Gonna Leave You

On the Outskirts of Town"

Louis Jordan and His Tympany Five

(Nov. 1942, highest chart pos. #3)

MOST-PLAYED JUKEBOXRACE RECORDS

(February 1945 – June 1949)

DINAH WASHINGTON

'Bama born, Chitown raised jazz-blues great

Dinah Washington is the 10th highest ranked

R&B recording artist of the 40s and 4th ranked

of the 50s. I could listen to Dinah's lovely voice

all day every day. One of the diva's greatest

recordings is a late 40s cover of "It's Too

Soon To Know," originally waxed by the

vocal group the Orioles and later turned
into a top 5 hit by crooner Pat Boone.

"It's Too Soon To Know"

Dinah Washington (Dec. 1948,

highest chart pos. #2)

MOST-PLAYED JUKEBOXRHYTHM & BLUES RECORDS

(June 1949 – October 1958)

THE CARDINALS

From Baltimore, home of the pro baseball team

and the above mentioned Orioles singing group,
came another excellent R&B act, the Cardinals.
Specializing in doo-wop ballads, the Cardinals
waxed some of the best slow dance numbers
of the early to mid 50s. Listen now to the
Cardinals' top 10 hit single from the
fall of 1951, "Shouldn't I Know?"

"Shouldn't I Know?"

The Cardinals (Oct. 1951,

highest chart pos. #7)

Flip the platter and you have the redbirds'

bluesy plea "Please Don't Leave Me."

"Please Don't Leave Me"

The Cardinals (Oct. 1951,

B side of "Shouldn't I Know")

MOST-PLAYED JUKEBOXRHYTHM & BLUES RECORDS

(June 1949 – October 1958)

THE CLOVERS

The Cardinals were promoted by Atlantic

Records, but they never achieved the level

of success enjoyed by their label mates,

the Clovers, one of the hottest selling

acts of the 50s. Seems record buyers

got a kick out of the Washington D.C.

group's lighthearted style. Many of
the Clovers' songs dealt with adult
subjects like partying, drinking
and chasing women. From the
Christmas season of 1952,
here's a great example -
"Hey Miss Fannie."

"Hey Miss Fannie" - The Clovers

(Dec. 1952, highest chart pos. #2)

MOST-PLAYED JUKEBOXRHYTHM & BLUES RECORDS

(June 1949 – October 1958)

THE HARPTONES

In sharp contrast to the rascally Clovers,

here is a mellow Manhattan group called

the Harptones. Led by Winnie Winfield,

the Harptones remained a ballad group

throughout their career, never bothering

to experiment with jump records or the

new rock 'n' roll style that other groups
were embracing. Prized by collectors,
the Harptones' single "My Memories

Of You," released in early 1954 on
the Bruce label, failed to chart,
but is today considered to be
a 50s vocal group classic.

A little birdie told me you have spent the betterpart of two years posting an extra-ORDINARYamount of dance-pop. Far be it from me to tellyou how to run your blog, Shady, but, comenow... don't you think enough is enough?Groups called Booty Luv, Sugababes andPussycat Dolls? Really, Shady? And a songcalled "My Boobs Are OK"... Seriously?The natives are getting restless, if youcatch my drift. Let me remind you thatI have high friends in low places andthat actions have consequences. If youcontinue down this path, forcing lamedisco upon us, then let's just say it willbe...counterproductive...and there will berepercussions beyond your wildest dreams.(shudders) Ooooh...I get goose bumpsjust thinking about it. Alrighty then, I'msure I've made my point. I won't take anymore of your valuable time. By all meansfeel free to go ahead and present whatevertype of music floats your boat. Don't letanything I said influence you or weighheavily on your mind. You haveyourself a nice day then.

Th.. th... thank you, Ray...Raymond...
Mr. Reddington, sir. I was just wondering. Do you remember that other Raymond? Raymond J. Johnson, Jr.? Remember
his shtick on The Gong Show and in
commercials for Natural Light beer?

"My name is Raymond J. Johnson, Jr.

Now you can call me Ray...

or you can call me J"...

No? Don't remember him? Not amused?

O------kay then, moving on...

SCROLL DOWN

YOU AXED FOR IT

RAY BABY...

AND YOU GOT IT -

A REFRESHING CHANGE

FROM DANCE POP -

THREE TOE-TAPPERS

FROM THE 2013

SPRING BREAKERS

SOUNDTRACK THAT'LL

REMIND YOU OF

ANNETTE & FRANKIE!

ENJOY!!!

DANGERUSS with

JAMES FRANCO

(VIDEO DIRECTED BY JAMES FRANCO)

GUCCI MANE &

WAKA FLOCKA FLAME

MEEK MILL, PILL, TORCH

& RICK ROSS feat.

FRENCH MONTANA

START PLAYING VIDEO

AT 11 SEC. MARK!

SCROLL DOWN

We meet again, Shady.

Goodness gracious, I guess you showed me!

I can't tell you how disappointed I am that

you traded in sugar pops for thug rap. NeedI remind you that we had a gentleman'sagreement that you would stick to morepopular and acceptable styles of musicalong the lines of classic rock, the Beatlesand an occasional Sinatra favorite? Droppingthese bombs was a clever, bold and defiantmove on your part, albeit not a very smartone. Oh well... no hard feelings. Waterunder the bridge, as they say.Let bygones be bygones.
I have an idea. Why don't we put thisunpleasantness behind us? I insist thatyou let me buy you dinner. There's aquaint little place called Killian's on theoutskirts of town. They serve a positivelyscrumptious Lamb Wellington smothered inhorseradish. It's to die for. I'm also thinkingsome fava beans and a nice chianti mighthit the spot. The kitchen never closesso be there at midnight. You reallymust come, Shady.

The Rodentia Intelligentsia

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"You had to be there!"

“Words and photographs could never do those dancers justice because you had to be there - in a club with great music, like minded people and loads of atmosphere.” David Meikle of Glasgow, Scotland wrote those words in an article remembering the Twisted Wheel, the legendary northern soul club in Manchester, England. Yet, Mr. Meikle could just as easily have been describing the scene at my favorite "in" spot of the 1960s, the Shady Dell in York (Pennsylvania, not England).

THE SHADY DELL

YORK, PENNSYLVANIA

The Shady Dell: Part of York County's Colorful History

What began as a home based restaurant and bakery in 1945 evolved over the next two decades into the hottest teen nightspot in York county complete with indoor and outdoor dance floors. It went beyond that. Shady Dell owner John Ettline and his wife Helen put out the welcome mat offering hospitality, comfort, support, and encouragement to generations of young people. During its impressive 45-year life span the Dell became a home away from home for countless area youth from a variety of backgrounds.

At the height of its popularity in the early and mid 60s the Dell, located on the southern outskirts of the White Rose city, was as widely known as North York’s White Oak Park ("the Oaks"), Harrisburg's Raven club or any other youth-oriented venue in central Pennsylvania. The Dell attracted crowds from all over the region. It brought together under one roof kids from middle class families and kids from working class families - city kids, suburban kids, small town kids and farm kids.

The diverse cast of characters that constituted the Shady Dell family was a potentially volatile mix. Each of us had to find a way to fit in and get along (or risk being voted off the island). In the end, in spite of our differences, most of us learned to dance together without stepping on each other’s toes.

Shady Dell regulars were nicknamed Dell rats and we had at least two things in common: a love of the music that played on the Dell’s jukebox and a genuine respect for John and Helen Ettline who graciously made their home our home.

GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS

The Dell was a unique, magical coming of age experience - a proving ground - a secluded hideaway where adolescents could develop social skills, learn to handle responsibility and test the waters of adulthood free from the hassles of ubiquitous adult micromanagement.

SHOCKING TRUE CONFESSION: I WAS A TEENAGE DELL RAT! by Shady Del Knight

I became a Dell rat in 1965 at the age of fifteen. Disparaging rumors about the place had been circulating for years. If you were to believe the gossip the Dell was a snake pit where bad boys and bad girls went to do bad things. Some people, including my mother, referred to the Dell as a “den of iniquity.” Intrigued by the horror stories, I was determined to get there and see for myself what all the fuss was about.

In preparation for my grand entrance, I subjected myself to weeks of rigorous training at a Shady Dell boot camp of my own devise. I grew my hair longer and took up the smoking habit. I practiced in front of a mirror until I was convinced that my stance, walk, and dancing style were all cool.

To complete my extreme makeover, I went shopping for my 'uniform' which consisted of a tapered shirt from the Hub, slacks by H.I.S. and two wardrobe essentials: a pair of blue Jack Purcell sneakers and the all-important Baracuta jacket "Made in England." Wearing my 'Cuta' made me feel so terribly, terribly British, you know. Spot on for us bird watchin' blokes, right gov'na?

'JACKS'

AN ABSOLUTE MUST...FOR DANCIN' ON DELL DUST!

THE CLASSIC NATURAL COLOUR BARACUTA

STRICTLY CONTINENTAL, MATE!

Moment of Truth: Boy Meets Dell

Too young to drive, I made my first Dell visit happen by bumming a ride one night with my college-age cousin and two of his buddies. Clearly, none of the above was thrilled to be babysitting.

As we drove past York Hospital on South George and headed toward Violet Hill, what began as giddy anticipation was turning to apprehension. Fear of the unknown started creeping into my brain. What if the rumors turned out to be true? Would I soon be sharing a needle with a gang of rowdy bikers?

At Violet Hill, we made a dogleg turn to the right and began to climb the narrow, winding, bumpy Starcross Road. By this time my breathing had become labored and I felt queasy. It was as if, on a foolish dare, I had agreed to spend the night with Vincent Price in his House on Haunted Hill. Was it too late to leap from the car and bolt?

"I See the Lights... I See the Party Lights..."

We rounded a bend and I caught my first glimpse of her a short distance up the road. Perched on the hillside was a three-story brick house. Down to the left stood a barn. The festive glow of colored lights rose skyward from an area behind the house. As I would soon learn, the atmospheric illumination originated from strings of lanterns hanging above a patio rigged with remote speakers for outdoor dancing.

As we banked to make our final approach I detected the percussive beat of uptempo music emanating from the barn. We turned left into a gravel parking lot overflowing with vehicles. Here, in all of her rustic splendor, stood the infamous Shady Dell, my destination for the evening and my obsession for years to come!

I Found My Thrill on Violet Hill

My heart was thumping as we climbed the steps that led to the entrance and approached the admission booth. Following my cousin’s lead, I slid a quarter through the window and looked up to see a balding, bespectacled old man grinning back at me. Old? John Ettline would have been 59 at the time. I'm older than that now. Yikes!

“Good evening, gentlemen!” John delivered his cheerful salutation in a booming baritone. Immediately, my anxiety vanished. John’s warm welcome made me feel right at home. It made me feel like I belonged. I didn’t get it at the time but later came to realize that John’s presupposition that we were "gentlemen" was a clever and tactful way of admonishing us to behave accordingly.

Toto, I've a Feeling We're Not in Kansas Anymore!

From the moment I entered the compound I was hooked. The Shady Dell was a private playground for teenagers - a candy land - a fun factory - a safe haven where kids could congregate and blow off steam without having to worry about parents and teachers giving them the evil eye. Instantly I became intoxicated - not by alcohol - but by a sense of total freedom. The place gave off a vibe that was completely new to me – an exhilarating blend of romance, adventure and danger!

Instead of placing a ton of restrictions on their young patrons, John and Helen granted them the independence they craved. The Ettlines were willing to take a step back and trust our judgment. It was okay for us to party as long as things didn’t get out of hand. Most of us eagerly embraced that arrangement. If and when we screwed up, the Ettlines gave us another chance. John and Helen cut you plenty of slack, but if you disrespected them or trashed their establishment both were capable of unleashing a fiery temper.

Of Rats and Men

Contrary to popular belief, the Dell did not harbor gangs of juvenile delinquents eager to conceal their wicked deeds from law enforcement. Sorry, Mom - there weren’t any guns, switchblades or brass knuckles - no gangs, career criminals or prostitutes - just a bunch of ordinary teenagers who loved to meet, mix and mingle, dance and have fun.

Fights were few and far between. There was tacit agreement that it was our duty to preserve and protect the unique setting that the Ettlines had created for us. It required us to police ourselves to prevent incidents that would generate negative publicity or hassles with the law. Scuffles were settled quickly, often through John’s bold intervention. The first lesson a guy learned at the Dell was as follows. Don’t let the gray hair fool you. Nobody messes with John. He’s the boss!

A Special Welcome to All Incoming Freshmen!

I was punched in the face three times during my first year of matriculation on the campus of the Shady Dell School of Hard Knocks. Apparently a few of the guys were determined to teach me a lesson. Yet, getting socked in the kisser did not dampen my enthusiasm or scare me away from the place. In fact they had the opposite effect. They whet my appetite for more! As a Dell newbie desperate to break free of mom’s apron strings and earn respect and acceptance, I wasn’t about to let a bloody nose deter me. For the first time in my life I felt like a man instead of a boy and I loved it. Like Secret Agent Man I was living a life of danger. I was addicted to the rush!

Determined to create an image that would allow me to blend in, appeal to the ladies and avoid becoming a frequent target of the tribe's dominant males, I did a lot of posing, posturing and pretending. I decided that it would be advantageous for me to look tough even though I wasn't. Whenever I strolled into the dance hall, I made sure that my hair was messed up, my shirt tail was hanging out, a lit cigarette was dangling from my lips and my game face was on.

One afternoon before anybody else arrived, my best friend and I rolled around on the dance floor of the barn so that we could properly break-in our new Baracuta jackets by getting them coated with Dell dust. This drove my mother crazy. She kept asking me how I got my jacket so badly soiled. She was even more perplexed when I forbade her to get it cleaned. How could I explain to her that I didn’t want to risk weakening my status with the other guys by wearing a clean jacket?

In my mom’s day the ideal guy wore a white sport coat and a pink carnation. His hair was neatly cropped, oiled down and slicked back off his forehead. That look would have spelled social suicide at the Dell in the mid 60s. My goal was to look like I had just been in a fight at reform school, and if I got my uniform dirty or bloodied in combat, it was a GOOD thing.

Helen & John Ettline

Shady Dell Owners

Helen and John: Not Your Typical Mom and Pop

Even by mid 60s standards, John Ettline seemed part of a vanishing breed of men. John never called me by my first name. He always chose to address me as “Mr. Knight." John maintained that friendly formality through all the years I knew him. I’m very glad he did. John always made me feel important when he added the title “Mr.” to my name. Making insecure teenagers feel good about themselves was John’s greatest gift. He always treated young people with dignity and respect and that made them want to return it.

Along with his outstanding people skills, John possessed a photographic memory. He could always match a face with a name. He seemed to know a lot about anything or anybody that you happened to be discussing. John Ettline had a million stories to tell - all of them interesting.

Although old enough to be our grandparents, there was no generation gap between the Ettlines and their teenage guests. They seemed to remember better than other grown-ups what it was like to be young. John and Helen stayed in touch and in tune with the youth culture. Never was that more in evidence than one day at the York Fair in September, 1968. I was sitting in the grandstand awaiting the start of the James Brown concert. I turned around to search the crowd for familiar faces and there, a few rows behind me, sat Helen and John. In a year when racial tension was running high in York and elsewhere, it was remarkable to see a white couple in their 60s at a James Brown concert, chanting along with the rest of us, “Say It Loud: I’m Black and I’m Proud!”

John and Helen were cool. Young people felt at ease talking with them. Unlike many adults, John and Helen listened to us. They cared without preaching or judging. The Ettlines treated their teen visitors like extended family. They believed in the potential of every young person, including troubled youth from broken homes. They spoke to us about the value of an education and honest hard work. They sponsored athletic programs and honored America’s armed forces. They shaped young lives by instilling a sense of pride and self esteem. John and Helen went out of their way to make all of their kids feel like somebody - even those whose families were telling them they were nobody.

The Dell Jukebox: ALL KILLER AND NO FILLER!

Upon arriving on the Dell scene I soon realized that the jukebox in the dance hall was loaded with the greatest, most danceable records to be found anywhere. There were quite a few songs that I had never heard before and would never hear anywhere else. The music mix that played nightly at the Dell was consistently better than what I was hearing on the radio. In the mid 60s the Dell's musical menu was an exciting blend of Motown, Chi-town, New York and Philly soul, Memphis, southern R&B, blue-eyed soul, Brit beat, sunshine pop, garage, psych and folk-rock plus a few do-wop favorites held over from the 50s.

Shady Dell regulars, the gang I now refer to as the Rodentia Intelligentsia, prided themselves on having radar for cool. Year in and year out they discovered and popularized songs that radio stations across the country overlooked. Records that lingered near the bottom of the national chart often became cherished classics at the Dell. Forgotten flips were elevated to mega-hit status by Dell rats unfettered by the limitations of radio play lists.

Certain songs resonated with the Dell crowd to such an extent that they stayed on the jukebox for years. The best example of this phenomenon is the record ranked #1 on my survey of the 200 Greatest Hits Of The Shady Dell. It remained one of the most popular jukebox selections a dozen years after its initial release in the 50s. That very special song, the greatest and longest lasting Shady Dell hit of all time, was "Close Your Eyes" by the Five Keys.

THE FIVE KEYS

"Close Your Eyes" Ranked #1

Del-Chords & Magnificent Men

Another mighty evergreen at the Shady Dell was "Everybody’s Gotta Lose Someday," an intense, power-packed r&b/soul ballad by the Del-Chords, a racially mixed group from York. Released in 1964, the record was still being played heavily two years later, jamming the floor with slow dancers several times a night. Dave Bupp and Buddy King, lead vocalists from the Del-Chords, eventually merged with band members of Harrisburg’s Endells to form a blue-eyed soul group called the Magnificent Men. The “Mag Men,” as we called them, were white guys who had a passion for black music and the vocal talent and musicianship to authentically perform it. Their inspiring ballad "Peace of Mind" was the first in an impressive string of Dell hits for our hometown heroes.

Magnificent Men

HEAVY HITTERS AT THE DELL!

The Emperors of Harrisburg

Records by the Emperors, another home-grown act, were also enormously popular with Dell dancers. A black group from the state capital, the Emperors were exponents of the “Harrisburg sound,” a blend of r&b, soul, garage and Latin influences. "Karate," the Emperors’ best known recording, was the first of eight raw, funky, organ-driven numbers to achieve hit status at the Dell in 1966 and 1967.

THE EMPERORS

DELL ROYALTY - THEY RULED!

End of an Era

Once addicted to the Dell, I pretty much lived there until the fall of 1967 when I left York to attend an institution of higher learning. Over the next four years I visited my Dell family whenever possible during holidays, spring breaks, and summer vacations. My stint as a Dell rat officially ended in 1971 when I found a job in another city and moved away from York for good.

My final visit to the Dell came in March of 1984 when my career took me out of state. My last piece of business before leaving was to drop in at the Dell and say a final goodbye. I entered the house to find John sitting on a stool at the lunch counter reading the newspaper. “Well, hello stranger!” John bellowed, rising to his feet and extending his hand. “Long time no see, Mr. Knight!" After shaking hands with John and exchanging a few pleasantries, I inquired about Helen. I was stunned to learn that she had passed away a few weeks earlier. I never got the news! John and I stood alone in Helen’s snack bar, reminiscing about the good old days and lamenting how much things had changed since the Dell’s golden era.

After a brief chat with John I excused myself and walked down the sidewalk to check out the barn. The old dance hall was dimly lit and nearly vacant. The only customers were two boys with shoulder length hair standing by the jukebox with a couple of girls. No music was playing. The place was dead or, more accurately, in the final lonely stages of life. If it had been twenty years earlier, the joint would have been jumpin’. The four young people eyed me suspiciously. Is this guy a narc? I put myself in their combat boots and realized that the sight of a stranger in his mid thirties was probably making this new generation of Dell rats uncomfortable. I promptly exited the barn and returned to the house to bid farewell to John.

That night marked the last time I ever saw John or entered the Shady Dell. I made one final pilgrimage in 1988 when I returned to Pennsylvania to visit my parents. I drove up to the Dell one afternoon with every intention of going inside. I’m sure I would have encountered a smiling John Ettline and that he would have immediately remembered my name. Yet, I never got out of the car. I chose not to enter because I didn’t want to further contaminate my memories by seeing how much older John looked and how much more dilapidated the Dell had become. All I could do was sit there in the parking lot gazing at the barn, the house, the bench and the steps to the admission booth where the whole journey started. My mind flooded with a thousand memories of the people, the place, and the time of my life.

John Ettline closed the Dell in the fall of 1991. He died at the beginning of 1993. John’s family auctioned off the restaurant equipment, signage and other Dell paraphernalia in the spring of that year.

(Mike Argento's 1993 article in the York Daily Record was used as a reference source for portions of this cover story.)

Thank You, Thisisme!

Thank you, Sush!

Thank you, Katia!

Thank You, Alabee!

Thank You, Gingeyginge!

THANK YOU, THISISME!

Thank you, Belle!

Thank you, LyDe (The Lyrical Designer)

Thank you, Kelly-marie!

Thank You, Thisisme!

Thank You, PencilGirl!

Thank you, Katia!

Thank You, Thisisme!

Thank You, Kristina!

Thank You, PencilGirl!

Spread the word...

THE RAT PACK IS BACK!

A-ha! I knew it! There's fine print!

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